Last night, my husband and I had the pleasure of being the guests of Carlos and Gilda (I hope I spelled that correctly), the owners of the new restaurant, La Mezcalera. I have nothing but great things to say.

La Mezcalera is a cozy, friendly little restaurant/bar located on Calle 11, east of Melgar in the Subway plaza. The ambiance is wonderful. From the architectural wall built by Carlos himself, to the booth seating, the bar and the lighting, it is a quaint gathering spot. The bartender, Mikey, mixes great drinks of his own creation using, what else, Mezcal. His version of a margarita is spectacular!

You really do have to try the food. While we just talked and relaxed, we had the Papas Gajo, perfectly fried sweet potato strips with ketchup and another dipping sauce with just a little habanero. Yum! We shared the sopes as an appetizer, both the chorizo and the cochinita pibil. With the beans, avocado, crema on each one, they are a real hit. Next came the pasta flor calabaza. Amazing! Third course? Filete de Res con Costra de Cafe. The filet was 250 g and cooked to perfection, on a bed of sweet potatoes and garnished with roasted jamaica and grilled onion. There are no words! And to top all of this off, the prices are extremely reasonable!

Carlos and Gilda are so much fun and such gracious hosts. My husband and are not late night people - we're getting too old for that LOL. However, we arrived at 7:00 and when we looked at the time as we were leaving it was 1:00 a.m.! Shocker!

I encourage you to try this new addition to the island. I believe it is going to be a great success, and we wish Carlos and Gilda all the best!